There Are No Perks of Being a Wallflower

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Overall I think that the Perks of Being a Wallflower was a good read. I think that Chbosky did a good job at writing in a way that made the text feel current and relatable to YA readers. In the beginning of the story I had a lot of questions because Charlie seemed to keep a lot hidden from readers. He even started off in the beginning by saying, “…then you might figure out who I am, and I really don’t want you to do that” (pg.2). However as the story progressed, some of the questions that I had were answered later on in the story. I feel that this story brings about a lot of personal connections to YA readers. For example, the way that in the beginning of the story Charlie and his sister seem to have a distant relationship and aren’t really close, but later on, when she has to go to the clinic, they portray that brotherly and sisterly love that shows they’ll always have each others’ back in the end. I think this is the same way that some youth may be with their siblings in today’s society. They aren’t affectionate with siblings for whatever the reason may be, but when it comes down to it, they’ll always be by their side. After everything with the clinic was over Charlie mentioned how his sister had thanked him for that day and for not letting her down (pg.121). Chbosky also did a good job at tying the title of the story into the book. Readers actually see how Charlie is a wallflower. It seems as though everyone assumes he’s the person who is just “there” and can trust him with their secrets. For example, when Charlie saw Patrick and Brad kissing for the first time, Patrick stated, “You see things. You keep quiet about them. And you understand” (37).  They trusted him to be a wallflower. Then again on page 17, when Charlie caught his father crying in the kitchen alone after the final episode of MASH, his father told him, “This is our little secret, okay champ?” Charlie is once again being held accountable for a secret that he has to act as though he was only there for and can’t say a word. Overall, I think Chbosky’s whole purpose however was to prove to YA readers that there are however no perks of being a wallflower. I think he would want YA readers to know that it’s ok not to be a wallflower, and sometimes it’s important to tell someone what’s going on. When Sam tells Charlie on page 200, “It’s great that you can listen and be a shoulder to someone, but what about when someone doesn’t need a shoulder,” I think that was an important statement because when someone doesn’t need a shoulder or wallflower, they may need somebody, or a hug, or help. We learn that Charlie has been holding back how he was raped by his Aunt Helen, and held it in for so many years, just hurting mentally, but when his family steps in and is there for him, he says everything will be okay.

Comments

  1. kendall hendersonSeptember 16, 2016 at 9:48 AM

    I think what Sam tells Charlie at the end is so important, too. It feels like Charlie is this kind, loving observer and we learn to love him for that, but Sam kind of twists it at the end by telling Charlie that people don't necessarily always want someone to just quietly be there-- action is important and sometimes you have to go after what you want instead of just doing what you think everyone else wants you to do.

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  2. UnknownSeptember 16, 2016 at 6:35 PM

    I am glad that you clearly defined what being a wallflower is. Charlie is very observant and introverted and it is important for him to learn to speak up for himself. Sam was right when she basically said that he needed to start living his life for himself and not just doing what everyone else wants to do. A person can hold only so many secrets and things inside before they finally snap.

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  3. UnknownSeptember 17, 2016 at 9:37 PM

    I really love that you challenged the title and came to the conclusion that maybe the "perks" of being a wallflower aren't worth it.

    One of the important themes of the book is "participating", which Charlie has a problem with. I think this directly relates to Charlie's "wallflowerness."

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